Food briefs for Dec. 1-7

North County Times

Counter goes dark for a night:
The Counterrestaurant in Del Mar will present a "Black Out" party from 9 p.m.to close Monday, with specials on Peligroso tequila cocktails,starters and Peligroso mini-burgers. The Counter is at 12873 ElCamino Real, Suite M4, in Del Mar.

Alice Waters in Rancho Santa Fe:
Alice Waters,the award-winning chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, will signcopies of her latest cookbook, "40 Years of Chez Panisse: The Powerof Gathering" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at Chino Farms, 6123Calzada del Bosque in Rancho Santa Fe. Waters will sign only copiesof the book purchased at the event or pre-ordered by emailingmilanevw@gmail.com or calling 760-815-1026.

Temecula Restaurant Month
: As part of TemeculaRestaurant Month, 22 Temecula-area restaurants will offer lunchitems for $5, $10 and $15 and dinner items for $15, $20 and $30during January. Participants include Front Street Bar & Grill,Tilted Kilt, Cafe Champagne, Temet Grill, Lazy Dog Cafe, Bailey's,The Bank, The Pinnacle and many of the restaurants at PechangaResort & Casino. Temecula is one of more than 30 Californiacities offering the promotion Jan. 1-31. For a list ofparticipating restaurants, visit temecula.org/restaurant/.

Blue Point chef honored:
Chef Daniel Barron ofBlue Point Coastal Cuisine won "Chef of the Fest" at the San DiegoBay Wine & Food Festival last month. Barron beat out nearly 70other San Diego chefs with his dish of Crispy Laughing Bird Shrimp,Curry-Glazed Sous Vide Pork Belly, Cauliflower Espuma, RoastedGinger and Kaffir Lime Air. He received $50,000 in cash and prizesin the contest judged by members of the American CulinaryFederation. Second place went to Grant Grill's Chris Kurth, thirdto Nobu's Andy Huynh, fourth to Romesco Baja Med Bistro's JavierPlacentia and fifth to R-Gang Eatery's Rich Sweeney.

Luna Grill offers free kids meals
: Luna Grill,with locations in Carlsbad and Carmel Valley, is offering freemeals for children 12 and under from 4 p.m. to close on selectnights. At the Carlsbad location, children's meals are free (withpurchase of an entree) on Sundays and the Carmel Valley locationoffers the meal deal on Tuesdays. Visit lunagrill.com .

Slater's opens first San Diego outlet
: Slater's50/50 Burgers by Design, a new restaurant/sports bar chain launchedby San Diego State alumnus Steve Slater, opened its first San Diegooutlet this month in Point Loma's Liberty Station. The company isnamed for Slater's gourmet burgers, which are made with 50 percentbacon and 50 percent beef (there are also veggie and turkeyvarieties). It also serves 100 beers on tap. Visitsandiego.slater5050.com .

Alehouse steps up
: Four-year-old PB Alehousehas changed its name to Pacific Beach Alehouse to better reflectowner Eric Leitstein's goal of upgrading the menu with the hiringof executive chef Jason Gethin. Gethin previously was executivechef at Leitestein's other local restaurant, Union Kitchen &Tap in Encinitas. Before that, Gethin worked at the Master Tiki MaiTai Lounge and at Roppongi.

Chargers wine special
: Despite the San DiegoChargers' poor performance on the gridiron this season, fans may beinterested in the Chargers Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon gift set forthe holidays. A three-bottle collection of Chargers Legacy winesfrom 2008, 2009 and 2010 is being offered for $90 and includes aChargers Yearbook. Call 707-944-1673.

Saltbox gets punchy:
Saltbox Dining &Drinking in downtown San Diego is offering a 4 to 7 p.m. dailyspecial where diners who buy a $5 glass of mixed punch can get aflatbread pizza for $6 (half-price) in the downstairs Saltbar.Also, from 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays, free flatbreads are offered in thebar for anyone who buys a drink.

Twenty/20 offers jazz, seafood:
Twenty/20 Grill& Wine Bar in Carlsbad has introduced "Jazz on the Half Shell"from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays. The restaurant at the SheratonCarlsbad Resort & Spa offers live jazz music from 6 to 9 p.m.and raw bar oyster specials from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Oyster varietiesare $2 to $5 each or $12 per dozen.

DINING EVENTS

Lobster Maine-ia!:
Major Market, with stores inEscondido and Fallbrook, hosts its annual parking lot lobster feedfrom 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Sunday. For $15.99, diners can have a1 1/4-pound Maine lobster dinner with three sides, roll and softdrink. For $6 more, add a 6-ounce filet mignon. A filet mignondinner with sides is $10.99. Live lobsters will also be sold onsitefor $8.99 to $9.99 a pound. Visit majormarketgrocery.com .

Brewfestivus:
Karl Strauss Brewery in PacificBeach hosts "Brewfestivus: A Craft Beer and Ugly Sweater Party forthe Rest of Us" from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9, in honor of author JoshBernstein, who will sign copies of his book "Brewed Awakening" atthe event. Tickets are $20 and include five beer tastings and agourmet food truck. Visit karlstrauss.com .

Playhouse Spotlight Dinner:
La Jolla Playhouseand Riviera Magazine co-host this fundraising dinner to promotePlayhouse shows. On Jan. 19, "American Night: The Ballad of JuanJose" dinner will be held at the private Rancho Santa Fe estate ofJason and Catherine Barry. Program includes a three-course dinnerand a live performance by Richard Montoya, author of the playrunning in January-February 2012. Tickets are $350. Reserve to858-550-1070, ext. 141.

FOOVIES:
UC San Diego presents its quarterlyFOOVIES (food and movies) screening at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at The Loft,Price Center, UCSD, La Jolla. Program includes aMediterranean-style dinner followed by the Italian film "Lessons inChocolate." Tickets are $30 for dinner and film or $8 for themovie. Call 858-534-8497.

CLASSES

Alchemy of the Hearth:
Cooking classes areoffered at 960 Rancheros Drive, Suite L, San Marcos. Alchemy of theHearth is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call for pricing; go toalchemyofthehearth.com or call 760-233-2433.

Franco's Home Chef Pizza Classes:
Vista chefFrank Latino, a graduate of the International School of Pizza inSan Francisco, is offering ongoing one- and two-day hands-onclasses in pizza-making for wood-fired and gas-fired ovens. Seven-to eight-hour classes are limited to six and include lunch. Forfees and locations, visit 2003champ@sbcglobal.net or call619-890-4984.

Gingerbread-Making Classes:
Carlsbad's ParkHyatt Aviara will host family-friendly classes ingingerbread-making. Pastry chef Franck Riffaud will offerinstructions in making dough and decorating a gingerbread house.Classes are from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 3, 10 and 17 and cost $20 foradults and $15 for children. Reserve to 760-603-6800.

The Casual Gourmet:
Phillis Carey will teachsimple meals to cook at home at the Center for a Healthy Lifestyleat the Solana Beach Boys & Girls Club, 533 Lomas Santa FeDrive, Solana Beach. Email phillis@philliscarey.com or call760-942-1756.

• 6 p.m. Dec. 12:
Champagne and ChocolateEntertaining; $54

IN THE SPIRITS

Acqua Al 2:
The Gaslamp Quarter restauranthosts wine tastings during "Uncorked" the first Wednesday of everymonth at 322 Fifth Ave. in San Diego. For $20, guests taste fourwine/spirit selections paired with four appetizers. Reservationsare required; Visit acquaal2.com or call 619-230-0382.

Blue Door Winery:
The 10-acre vineyard hasopened a tasting room at 1255 Julian Orchards Drive in Julian.Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Cost is $8 for five tastings.Bottled wines are $19 to $29. Visit bluedoorwinery.com or call760-765-0361.

Club M at The Grand Del Mar:
Club M at TheGrand Del Mar will offer tastings from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays thissummer, finishing with Rum & Tequila Tastings (the rum andtequila drinks made with the featured spirit are $8; through Aug.26). Go to www.thegranddelmar.com or call 858-314-2700.

The Collective:
Tasting lounge featuresone-of-a-kind, handmade boutique wines at 28544 Old Town FrontStreet in Temecula. Hours are 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays andThursdays, noon to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 10p.m. Sundays. Visit tvwinecollective.com or call 951-693-4567.

The Grand Del Mar:
The resort hosts tastings onthe terrace at Addison's Le Salon at 6 p.m. Wednesdays throughSeptember. Wine director Jesse Rodriguez will lead the tastings,which are $35 per session and include a flight of three wines andsommelier-selected cheese. Go to www.thegranddelmar.com or call858-314-1900.

Hilton Garden Inn:
Sommelier Kevin Frantze andemcee Bob Rauch will lead a tasting of six wines on selectSaturdays this summer at the Hilton Garden Inn in Del Mar. Each 5p.m. tasting is $29 and includes six wine tastings and a variety ofspecialty cheeses, fruits and nuts, plus a bottle of wine to takehome or pair with dinner at Bistro 39. Go to www.bistro39delmar.comor call 858-720-9500.

Miramonte Winery:
The Temecula winery hostsVIBE once a month with music, food, wines, champagnes, beers andDJs; the winery also hosts "Just Us Girls" at 7 p.m. the firstThursday of every month. The event features wines, champagnecocktails, hors d'oeuvres and vendors. Go to miramontewinery.com orcall 951-506-5500.

Monte de Oro Winery & Vineyard:
Theseevents are coming up at Monte de Oro Winery & Vineyard at 35820Rancho California Road in Temecula. Wine club members receivediscounts; go to montedeoro.com or call 951-491-6551.

Rossi's Pizza:
Hosts a wine group at 6:30 p.m.every first Wednesday at 156 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road in San Marcos.Tastings are $10, and there are discounts on bottles. Go towww.rossis-pizza.com or call 760-727-4747.

Vinz Wine Bar:
Full restaurant menu with widewine menu by the glass or bottle. Tastings are from $5-$10 from 5to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 3 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and come withcharcuterie and cheese. Live music on Saturdays. Vinz is at 201 E.Grand Ave., Escondido. Visit vinzwinebar.net or call760-743-8466.

Wine Making Behind The Scenes course:
San DiegoState University's College of Extended Studies will present afast-paced course on harvesting, crushing and fermenting grapes,cellar work and bottling in a field lecture class from 9 a.m. to4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Maurice Car'rie Winery, 34225 Rancho CaliforniaRoad, Temecula. Cost is $199 or $209 after Oct. 1. Ages 21 and uponly. Call 619-594-6924.